Run by the São Paulo State Football Federation (FPF), the league is contested by 16 clubs and typically lasts from January to April.

Rivalries amongst four of the best-known Brazilian teams (Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos and São Paulo) have marked the history of the competition.

Formerly called Segunda Divisão, in 2024, the FPF renamed the 4th tier of the São Paulo State Championship to Série A4.

Miller introduced the football association rules to Brazil upon his return from England, where he attended college and discovered the sport.

Between April and October 1902, those teams competed in the first edition of the tournament, with São Paulo AC winning the title and Miller himself as the leading goalscorer.

However, the popularity base of the sport started to change after a brilliant exhibition tour by the Corinthians, a London amateur team, in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Shortly thereafter, a group of workers were inspired to found the city's first popular team, Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.

Stronger teams, larger crowds and players such Neco (Corinthians) and Arthur Friedenreich (Paulistano) contributed to the footballmania that converted football from "foreigner's fun" to Brazil's most popular sport.

Some dissidents from Paulistano, favorable to professionalization, along with the directors of AA Palmeiras united to form São Paulo Futebol Clube, the third force of the city.

Palestra Itália change its name to Palmeiras in 1943 due to a World War II period law that banned Axis Powers references in sport.

Football grows within the state and a second division is created in 1948, allowing upstate teams to take part in major league competition.

Since the 1960s, Brazil began to develop more mature national competitions which competed with the state and regional tournaments for supporter's attention.

Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Edmundo, César Sampaio are among the members of the "Green Machine" which scored 100 goals in the 1996 tournament.

The main São Paulo state teams treat the tournament as tune-ups for the more lucrative Copa Libertadores and Brazilian National Championship.

Following is the list with the top 10 topscorers of all-time in the Campeonato Paulista:[6] The awards started in 1993 by Folha de S.Paulo newspaper and then the São Paulo Football Federation took over.

Which in turn, is the 5th to 8th place of the first stage of Campeonato Paulista, except the teams from the city of São Paulo and also including Santos.